Dragons struggling to hit
Clinton’s Luke Perez slides home for the Dragons’ only score against Oak Ridge on Tuesday.
The Wildcats got a run in the first and added another in the second inning but Clinton starter Alex Burton was able to keep them off the scoreboard again until the fifth inning. Oak Ridge scored three in the fifth and continued to rough up the Dragons’ bullpen as they scored three more in the sixth.
Burton took the loss as he pitched five innings and allowed two earned runs on six hits.
At the plate, Trey Herrell was 1-2 with a double, while Isaiah Murphy and Luke Perez each added a hit.
On Tuesday, the Wildcats garnered a regular season sweep of Clinton with a 5-1 win at Jaycee Park.
Clinton took a 1-0 lead in the first when Herrell, who got the start on the mound, drove in a run.
Oak Ridge tied the game in the fourth and took the lead in the fifth, when they scored two runs. They added a run in the sixth and an insurance run in the seventh.
Herrell took the loss. He went five innings and allowed two earned runs on four hits.
For the second consecutive game, the Dragons collected three hits. Blake Sherwood and Perez each had a single while Chase Lockard was 1-3 with a double.
On Thursday, Clinton suffered a 1-0 loss at Coalfield.
The game was scoreless until the fifth when the Yellow Jackets scored a single run.
A great effort by starter Luke Johnson was wasted as he took the loss. He pitched five innings and allowed one run on five hits while striking out six.
Sherwood was 2-4 with a double while Murphy was 1-2. Tyler Davis was also 1-2.
“All three games are the same story as it’s been all season: We’re just not hitting the ball. We’re weak. We need another off-season in the weight room and we need another year of varsity experience. We’re playing a lot of young guys,” said Matt Byrd, head coach of the Dragons.
“We’re getting some good pitching but all of the good pitching in the world doesn’t help if you can’t hit it,” he said.
The Dragons will host Claiborne at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday. It will be Senior Night for Clinton. They end the regular season at Claiborne on Friday at 6:30 p.m.